By MICHELLE HARKEY-WILDE
Los Alamos
Today I sat in the early morning sunshine and listened to the birds chirping. It was so beautiful I wanted to record it, but I did not. Just like pictures never quite seem to capture the majesty of a sunset over the ocean, recordings of bird songs just aren’t as sweet when replayed. There is a special quality to being present in the moment of perception.
I sense a shift in our collective way of being as sweet and tenuous as the song of the bird who sings only when it is safe. There’s a coming back to self, family and community which I find calming, reassuring.
Can you feel it, too?
It’s there, hidden under layers of the distraction of fear. There’s a peace that reassures me the world is simply righting itself after decades of frenetic movement.
Pause and let it touch you. Let go of the concerns about health and finances and death for just a few minutes. They will be there waiting when you’re ready to pick them up again, if you want.
This very moment is profound. Feel it inside you.
Collectively, we are shaping the future. Maybe someday you’ll be telling your grandchildren about the years the world went on a rejuvenating holiday and came back transformed into a slower, kinder, more stable place to be, and from then people began living in their own greatness and inner peace.
Or perhaps the narrative will descry the decisions made by “experts” of whatever ilk they are, which “destroyed” the nation.
Near the end of 1776, Thomas Paine penned these words, which I find apropos:
“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”
My sincere apologies to Mr. Paine if he objects, but I believe we are indeed in a war – an inner war. The tyranny is fear and superficial social norms which dictate living a life centered on appearance, money, mindless following and ignoring our inner truth.
That can change in this momentous time. We suddenly have restricted movement (stay-at-home orders) and the resulting financial chaos, but we also have fewer demands for frivolous meetings, expensive escapes from life and a dismantling of the façade.
At our core we all have the same basic needs and desires. When we stop and touch into the perfection of the present moment (even if it is uncomfortable) and seek to find the peace, we also find increased ability to take care of ourselves, our families, our community. We can set aside the artificial boundaries which separate us, not by dissolving nations, but by truly caring for our neighbor.
Similar to previous wars, there will be some who give the ultimate sacrifice or who play a bigger role and some who buy war bonds and recycle tin foil. Regardless, we all play our part.
Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps said this:
“The last of the human freedoms: to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you become the plaything to circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity…”
This is the freedom I encourage us all to exercise, and indeed this freedom does come with a high price tag. It can be very difficult to choose inner peace and thoughtful decision making in the midst of our current circumstances, but I dare say our circumstances pale in comparison to Frankl’s life in concentration camp.
So, stop, enjoy the sound of the birds, the kiss of the wind, the warmth of the sunshine and settle into the peace of this present moment. By doing so, you begin to win your own inner war. When we do it as a country we create the place I’d like to gift my grandchildren. This is our chance to change history. Let’s seize it.
Michelle Harkey-Wilde is a licensed mental health counselor, Body-Connection Coach, massage therapist and integrative wellness specialist. This column is for educational purposes only and does not create a client-practitioner relationship. You are responsible to exercise appropriate discretion in implementing any ideas contained herein and accept responsibility for your actions. Consult with your physical and mental health practitioners before implementing any new practice.